 "Students say PM's remarks on Vemula's suicide 'insulting', vow to step up stir")
Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks about the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit doctoral student, "insulting", students of Hyderabad Central University on Saturday vowed to step up their agitation. The prime minister's "inaction", they said, reflected his "political interests".
The students rejected an appeal by Minister of State for Human Resource Development Upendra Kushwaha, who, on a visit to the city, had asked them to call off their agitation and assured them of justice, a day after the Centre decided to set up a judicial commission to look into Vemula's suicide following his suspension by the university.
Voicing "dissatisfaction" over Modi's remarks on Friday at a Lucknow university, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Social Justice, which is spearheading the stir, asked if the prime minister would now take action against his ministers.
"Rohith Vemula and the other socially boycotted always stood against the Hindutva and Manuvadi politics, which the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] ministers proudly stand for," it added.
"It is under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Delhi Police brutally lathicharged the protesting students, and male police officers manhandled women students and detained them. His complicity and inaction on the entire episode of events that unfolded in University of Hyderabad clearly reflect his political interests," it said.
The organisation asked if Modi would "take action on the BJP ministers for the injustice meted out to Vemula and the other socially boycotted research scholars".
Modi on Friday had expressed grief over Vemula's death. "...when there is news that a youth of my country, Rohith, was forced to commit suicide, what must his family have gone through? Mother India has lost a son. There will be reasons, and there will be politics [surrounding it], but the fact remains that a mother has lost her son. I feel the pain very well," he said.
Meanwhile, the hunger strike by seven students continued for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday.
G Prabhakar, one of the fasting students, said the students would like to continue with the fast even as doctors expressed concern over their health.
"We want to continue [the fast]. Our demands have not yet been fulfilled. They say Modi talked in Lucknow yesterday and a judicial committee is appointed and all. You appoint a judicial commission, no problem, but take action against people who actually caused this death," he added.
"Dismiss [Hyderabad Central University Vice-chancellor] Appa Rao Podile, the primary accused, from his post. Arrest (Union Ministers) Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya, who wrote letters to the university. Without the arrests, these [judicial commissions] don't give us confidence," Prabhakar said.
The students rejected an appeal by Minister of State for Human Resource Development Upendra Kushwaha, who, on a visit to the city, had asked them to call off their agitation and assured them of justice, a day after the Centre decided to set up a judicial commission to look into Vemula's suicide following his suspension by the university.
Voicing "dissatisfaction" over Modi's remarks on Friday at a Lucknow university, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Social Justice, which is spearheading the stir, asked if the prime minister would now take action against his ministers.
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"It is highly insulting to have received a condolence statement from Prime Minister Narenda Modi. He has referred to Rohith Vemula as Bharat Mata's son. The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice condemns, in the strongest possible words, the appropriation of Rohith's politics," the JAC said in a statement.
"Rohith Vemula and the other socially boycotted always stood against the Hindutva and Manuvadi politics, which the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] ministers proudly stand for," it added.
"It is under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Delhi Police brutally lathicharged the protesting students, and male police officers manhandled women students and detained them. His complicity and inaction on the entire episode of events that unfolded in University of Hyderabad clearly reflect his political interests," it said.
The organisation asked if Modi would "take action on the BJP ministers for the injustice meted out to Vemula and the other socially boycotted research scholars".
Modi on Friday had expressed grief over Vemula's death. "...when there is news that a youth of my country, Rohith, was forced to commit suicide, what must his family have gone through? Mother India has lost a son. There will be reasons, and there will be politics [surrounding it], but the fact remains that a mother has lost her son. I feel the pain very well," he said.
Meanwhile, the hunger strike by seven students continued for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday.
G Prabhakar, one of the fasting students, said the students would like to continue with the fast even as doctors expressed concern over their health.
"We want to continue [the fast]. Our demands have not yet been fulfilled. They say Modi talked in Lucknow yesterday and a judicial committee is appointed and all. You appoint a judicial commission, no problem, but take action against people who actually caused this death," he added.
"Dismiss [Hyderabad Central University Vice-chancellor] Appa Rao Podile, the primary accused, from his post. Arrest (Union Ministers) Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya, who wrote letters to the university. Without the arrests, these [judicial commissions] don't give us confidence," Prabhakar said.